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Tourists storm the ramparts
Formostof the twentiethcentury, amuch-lovedelevatorgraced
the location, butwas laterdecommissionedand thendismantled.
Increased tourist numbers in recent yearsmadea replacement
crucial.
Whilemeeting thedemandsof up to800passengersperhour,
thepeakafter thearrival of cruise ships, theelevatordesignhad
tofit inwith theancientcityandappease residentswhowell-
remember theoriginalpieceof equipment.Conservationorders
stipulated the structurecouldnot relyon support from thecity
fortifications towithstand thesometimes-severewaterfrontweather.
Working inpartnership
The project demanded close collaboration and teamwork,
particularly in engineering and construction.
KONE cameonboard in the early stages after formingpart
of the consortium selected for theproject. For KONE, there
were two requirements to follow:meet the stringent technical
specifications setby theconsultingengineer, IngRaySpiteri,
andaccommodate theelevator structure’s architectural design.
”During the constructionphase,wewerepleased to see that
thearchitect vision took shapeas conceived,” says
Konrad
Buhagiar
, a foundingpartner atArchitectureProject, designers
of the structure for theBarrakkaLiftproject.
KONEalsoplayedacrucial role in technical aspects, employing
extensive simulation andwind-tunnel testing todetermine
the suitabilityof the structure. This ensured theelevators can
operatewithin somedegreeof deflectionby strong seawinds.
To takeadvantageof theunique setting, twoKONEMiniSpace
™
scenicelevatorswere installed,providingchangingviewsof the
honey-coloredbastion rock, thewall aboveand theharbor.
“As you ride theelevator, youare inclosecontactwith the rock,
whichwas cutbyhand in the sixteenthcenturyand then thewall
above that built at the same time,”Buhagiar says. “So yougo
from the rock-hewnwall to theman-madewall andhave the sea
onone side. Youhave these incredible threeelements.”
Qualitycontrol
Constructionwasconstrainedby the small footprintof theproject
inadeep, narrow siteoutside the citywalls. Elevator installation
was completedon time,with carefulmonitoringat all stages by
theconsultingengineer toensure theconstructionmet theprecise
dimensions required for thecomplicated location.
“Wehelda tight reinonqualitycontrolwhile theconstructionwas
carriedout, sowhen itwas time to install theelevator, itwasquite
a smoothprocessdespite theheightand theexposed installation,”
says
Michael Francica
,OperationsDirector at KONE’sMaltese
distributorMekanika Ltd.
In addition, KONE carried out simulations to ensure efficient
peopleflow inconformitywith theclient’s requirements. The21
passengers ineachelevator have slightly less thanhalf aminute
to take in the views.
“Our trafficanalysisdetermined the travel times forpeoplemoving
intoandoutof thecars.We factored these in tocomeupwith the
ideal speedsandconfiguration,”Francica says. Furtherefficiency is
realized from theKONE regenerativedrive systemwhich resupplies
powerback to theproject supplynetwork.
KONE’sdistributor inMalta is responsible for regularmaintenance,
which isparticularly importantgiven theexposedconditions and
the salt airof theMediterraneanSea.
Valletta is an intriguing city steeped inhistoric tradition. TheBarrakka Lift provides rapid access to the capital’s
famedbaroque attractions for thousands of visitorswhodock at themodern cruise liner terminal in theGrand
Harbour, aswell as forMaltese usingwater taxis to cross the port.
© IanAbdilla